Festus Mogae: “Crisis Within A Crisis” In South Sudan 26 April 2017 PRESS RELEASE
26 April 2017, Juba, South Sudan JMEC CHAIRMAN: “WE NOW FACE A CRISIS WITHIN A CRISIS.” THE FULL TEXT OF THE CHAIRMAN’S OPENING REMARKS IS ATTACHED JMEC Chairman, H.E. Festus Mogae, opened the April JMEC Plenary, in Juba, with a warning that South Sudan now faces a crisis of hunger that is undermining all efforts to make peace. The Chairman said, “There can be no doubt that we now face a crisis within a crisis. Security is the foundation stone upon which we build economic and social confidence. This foundation stone no longer exists, confidence has evaporated, commerce is seizing up, prices are escalating and as a result we now face a crisis of hunger that is undermining all our efforts to make peace. “The mothers of South Sudan face a daily struggle with inflation, never knowing if the money in their pocket will be sufficient to feed their family. Insecurity creates food shortages, which in turn drives inflation, that in turn results in hunger. A hungry man is an angry man; and angry men do not make peace. “Food shortages and increasing hunger are now our immediate problems. Out in the country, beyond the reach of government, the situation is increasingly desperate. Instability and hunger has created a surge of survival-criminality that further exacerbates the problem through stealing, looting and the prevention of free-flowing commerce. On the issue of security, the Chairman said, “Violence and conflict on this level is either centrally directed or locally orchestrated. I fear it is now time to acknowledge that, across the board, among all armed forces and armed groups, central structures of command and control appear to have broken down. Violence around the country is increasingly based on local decisions taken at local level. Armed groups may declare an allegiance to one leader or another, but they seem no longer to take their instructions from them.” Every month the JMEC Chairman presents his report to the Board members, including representatives of the Transitional Government of National Unity, South Sudanese Stakeholders, IGAD member states, the UN, the Troika (US, UK, Norway), China, EU and International Partners Forum and Friends of South Sudan. Reports are also received from the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU), Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism (CTSAMM), Joint Military Ceasefire Commission (JMCC), Joint Integrated Police (JIP), Strategic Defence and Security Review Board (SDSRB) and the National Constitutional Amendment Committee (NCAC). The Chairman also commented on the humanitarian situation saying, “Twelve aid workers have been killed in South Sudan so far this year. It is simply deplorable that in 2017 we must still plead with a government for the safety of those who deliver humanitarian relief. “I can only repeat that this humanitarian situation is predominantly man-made and the result of violence, conflict and the deliberate denial of access. Men, women and children are suffering and dying of starvation because the leadership at various levels is failing to prevent it.” THE FULL TEXT OF THE CHAIRMAN’S OPENING REMARKS IS ATTACHED JMEC Posted in: Foreign Relations, Press Releases -- To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/d/forum/southsudankob View this message at https://groups.google.com/d/msg/southsudankob/topic-id/message-id For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/SouthSudanKob. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/SouthSudanKob/CAJb14op%2BYfq14-gcpc7ZQt3c8C%3DXiMyxgwNts%2BRPW0D07hsTaA%40mail.gmail.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
